The present invention concerns a savory snack product, which is shelf stable.
A shelf stable non-savory snack is already known and launched on the market. This product is made from a sweet biscuit sponge and a sweet cream filling. This snack has a very high amount of sugar and/or other carbohydrates: this addition is necessary to stabilize the snacks by the reduction of the aw value and keep it moist and elastic in texture. Also, a sandwich type product with a shelf life of six months exists. It is made from crispbread and a savory filling which is practically free of water. The aw value of the crispbread and the savory fat filling is well below 0.60 and thus the product is very dry and crisp. Other water-in-oil emulsions, like margarine can be stored for several months, but usually under refrigerated conditions and not in combination with a dough.
Thus, there is a need for a savory snack which can be kept at room temperature during at least six months, which has a reduced content of sugar or other carbohydrates and which has a very moist and elastic texture. The present invention satisfies this need.
The present invention relates to a savory snack product with two layers of a whipped and baked savory sponge and a filling in-between. Advantageously, the sponge has an aw value of between about 0.6 and 0.85, a pH value of between about 3.5 and 5.5 and an overrun of between about 30 and 170%, and the filling is a water-in-oil emulsion that has an aw value of between about 0.6 and 0.85, a pH of between about 3.5 and 5.5 and an overrun of below about 150%.
An aw value of above 0.6 allows to have a snack with a texture giving a good moist feeling, the acidic pH gives a good stability at room temperature with the required time of storage and the whipping of both the filling and the bakery sponge gives a well aerated product.
The aw value of the snack can be measured with an Aqua Lab measurement device. The pH is measured with any available pH-meter and the percentage of whipping of both the baked sponge and the filling are measured by density measurements.
In a preferred embodiment of the savory snack according to the invention, the baked sponge has an aw value of between about 0.7 and 0.8, a pH of between about 4.5 and 5 and an overrun of between about 60 and 120%. Also, the filling has an aw value of between about 0.7 and 0.8, a pH of between about 4.5 and 5 and an overrun of between about 30 and 70%.
The filling typically has a water content of between about 5 to 20%. Preferably, the water content is between about 10 and 15%. A suitable filling is a water-in-oil emulsion that contains from about 30 to 90% of a vegetable fat. Preferably, the amount of vegetable fat is between about 40 and 60%. All the percentages in the present specification are given in weight and based on the overall composition of the filling.
It is important according to the invention to have a vegetable fat which melts in the mouth by the eating, so that the consumer has a good mouth feeling. Therefore, the fat for the filling preferably has a steep melting curve of between about 25 and 35xc2x0 C. That means that the whole vegetable fat melts below 35xc2x0 C. The vegetable fat used is selected from the group consisting of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalent, palm oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and other vegetable fats.
The filling is prepared from a composition comprising about 5 to 40% maltodextrine or glucose syrup. Preferably, the content of maltodextrine or glucose syrup is between about 20 and 30% of the filling composition. The filling composition further comprises between about 0.2 and 2% of an emulsifier, about 0.2 to 2% of salt and about 1 to 15% of spices and aroma. The emulsifier used is not critical and can be any emulsifier used in the food industry for the preparation of water-in-oil emulsions. Preferably, the emulsifier is mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids or lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides. The spices and aroma used are those commonly used in the food industry, such as pepper, onion extract, other vegetable extracts, cheese aroma, other aromas, garlic powder, or other vegetable powders.
The baked sponge has a water content of between about 10 and 25%, based on the overall composition of the baked sponge. The baked sponge is advantageously prepared from a composition comprising up to 40% whole egg, up to 10% glucose syrup and up to 15% glycerine. Preferably, the composition comprises about 10 to 40% liquid egg, about 5 to 10% glucose syrup and about 1 to 5% glycerine. The composition for the preparation of the baked sponge further comprises a sour dough, Pumpernickel, flour, starch, whey protein powder, an emulsifier and potassium sorbate. The amount of these compounds would be the same as those that are normally known and conventionally used in the art, with the Pumpernickel being preferably used in an amount of up to about 20%. Preferably, the sour dough preparation used is normally a sour dough powder used in the food industry, the flour used is wheat flour, and the starch used is wheat starch. Any known emulsifier normally used in the food industry, such as those mentioned above, would be suitable without preference.
In the savory snack according to the invention, the ratio in weight of baked sponge/filling is generally between 20/80 and 80/20 and the skilled artisan can select which relative amounts are optimum for any particular product. The snack is typically packaged in a flow pack, which is made from an aluminum covered propylene sheet or a polypropylene sheet.
The size of the savory snack is not critical. Preferably, the snack is square with a size of around 6 cm by 6 cm and a thickness of around 15 to 20 mm.
The savory snack is preferably prepared according to the following steps.
Preparation of the Baked Sponge
The dry and liquid ingredients are mixed in a mixer. The obtained dough is whipped with a known device to an overrun of between about 30 to 170%. The dough is made in the form of sheets and baked in an oven at about 170 to 260xc2x0 C. for about 4 to 10 min. The baked sponge is finally cooled in the atmosphere.
Preparation of the Filling
The dry and liquid ingredients of the aqueous phase are mixed, that is the spices, aroma, maltodextrine or glucose syrup with the water. The aqueous phase is then pasteurized and stored in a buffer tank. The emulsifiers and the fats are melted and mixed in another tank and cooled between about 10 and 35xc2x0 C. Both phases are then mixed, emulsified and whipped to an overrun of below 150%, and preferably about 30 to 70%.
Final Production Steps
The filling is dosed on the sponge layer and a second sponge layer is put on the filling. The obtained product is cooled and the sheet is cut into pieces of squares of around 6 cm and the individual pieces of the savory snack product are fed on a line for producing flow packs.